Wheel-cultivator



(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet '1.

J. 0. SGHWALLER. v

WHEEL GULTIVATOR.

No. 355,106. S Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

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N0. 355,106. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

I (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. 0. SGHWALLER.

' WHEEL GULTIVATOR. No. 355,106. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 06- Z v BY ATTORNEYS.

4 UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JOSEPH CLEMENS SOHWVALLER, OF HALBUR, IOVA.

WHEEL-CULTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,106, dated December 28, 1886.

Application filed September S, i886. Serial No. 210,001. (No model.)

.To all whom it mag concern,-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH OLEMENs SOHWAL- LER, of Halbur, in the county of Carroll and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved WVheel-Cultivator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure'l is a plan view of my new and improved wheel-cultivator, showing two gangs of necting the gangs to the main frame and to the axles.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

A represents the main frame that unites the two axle-frames B B, and to whichthe gangs 0 O are attached, as hereinafter described. The main frame A is bow-shaped, as shown in Fig. 4, and is provided at its lower ends and at each side with a leg, to. (Shown in Fig. 4.) Upon the frame A is attached the tongue D, the same being braced to the frame by theside diagonal brace-bars, D D, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The axle-framesB are provided each with a wheel, E, and are each formed with a square frame, b, that reaches in front of the axle b, on which the wheel is placed, and these frames are secured or hinged to the main frame A upon the bolts a. (Shown in Figs. 2 and 4.) The axle-frames B are also each formed with an upwardly-inclined arm, I), which arms act as levers for holding the gang-bars Cin position, as hereinafter described, the levers b being connected by the links B to the arms f of the pivoted yokes F, to which the said gang bars are connected. The rear inner corners of the frames B are connected to the upper portion of the main frame A by the coiled springs G,

which are of sufficient tension to counterbalance the frames B and prevent them from tilting. The yokes F are hinged to the main frame A, below the frames B B, upon the bolts a a". (Shown clearly in Figs. 2, 4, and 6.)

The gangs C are duplicates of each other, each being provided with three sets of curved knives. The rear knives, c c, are curved outward, while the central knives, c, and upper knives, a", are curved inward, so they will counteract the side draft of the knives c. The knives c and c are set nearly in line with each other, while the knives c are held central to the space between the lower knives, so that all the ground traversed by the gang will be tilled. The sets of knives c a c are secured rigidly to suitable cross-pieces, d (1, attached to or made a part of the mainframes d of the gang s,which frames are bolted to the rear ends of the gangbars 0. The cross-pieces d are by preference made hollow, as shown in Fig. 3, to lessen the weight and to inclose the rods (1 on which the knives are secured, and each gang 0 is pro- Vided' with a handle, H, by which the plowman mayhold and control the cultivator as it is drawn along the ground by a team attached to the whififletrees I.

The connections of the gangs 0 to the bars 0 are vertically adjustable, so that the penetration of the knives may be regulated, and for effecting this adjustment I prefer to form the connections each by lapping the gang-frame d and bar 0 and securing them by the two bolts 6 e, the latter of which passes through acurved slot, 6, so that by loosening this bolt the pitch of the gang-frame may be changed. Atongue, 6 is formed at the end of each gang-frame d, which is adapted to enter one or the other of several recesses, 62*, made in the bar 0, for look ing the frame d at any position atwhich it may be set, as will be understood from Fig. 2.

The bars 0 are connected to the yokes F each by a vertical bolt, h, which passes down through one or the other of aseries of holes, 6, made in the yokes, and shown clearly in Fig. 1. The bars 0 swing on the bolts h, while the yokes F turn upon the horizontal bolts a, so that a universal connection is thus formed for connecting the gangs with the main frame or vehicle portion of the cultivator, which gives the gangs perfect freedom and enables the plow- ICO man to fully control them. The series of holes '5 permit the gangs to be laterally adjusted to suit the width of rows to be cultivated.

The whifiletrees I are connected to vertical bars I, connected at their upper ends to the evener I and at their lower ends by the rods 1 to the lower ends of the main frame A, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

By means of the rods cl and the knife-connections the knives can be set at different angles to the frame up or down independently of each other, and the weight of the main frame of the cultivator coming in front of the axles b has a downward tendency, which is transferred through the arms b of the frames B, the armsfofthe yokes F,- and the connecting-links B to the gang-bars O, and forces the latter downward, as will be understood from the dotted lines in Fig. 6, and causes the penetration of the cutters into the ground. In this manner the knives themselves carry a part of the weight of the cultivator-frame and the wheels E are relieved to that extent, and to increase the downward tendency of the main frame upon the gang-bars I employ the springs G, which are attached at their lower ends to the frames B in line with the axles b, and at their upper ends to the main frame A, so that the springs stand in an oblique position, so their tension will exert a downward pull upon the main frame. The connecting-links B may be adjusted in the series of holes f 2 of the arms f of the yokes B, so that the combined downward action of the weight of the main frame and the springs upon the gangs may be regulated. Upon therear end of the tongueD are secured the hooks M, on which the gangs may be supported by the-eyes m to clear them from the ground in transporting the cultivator to and from the field or from field to field.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cultivator, a pivoted yoke pivoted below the axle and to which the gang-bar is attached, combined with the main frame and an axle-frame, the latter connected to the yoke and the main frame connected to the axle-frame at a point in front of the axle, whereby the weight of the main frame serves to exert a downward pressure upon the gang, substantially as described.

2. The axle-frame B, formed with an arm, 6 and pivotally connected to the main frame A, and also connected to the yoke F, pivoted .in the main frame, in combination'with gangbar 0, connected to the yoke, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a cultivator, the axle-frame B, formed with the axle b at its rear outer corner and with the forwardly-projecting arm b, in combination with the main frame pivoted to the axleframe between the axleb and the outer end of the arm b", substantially as described.

4. In a cultivator, the yoke F, pivoted in the main frame below the axle and formed with the arm f at one side of its pivot and with connections for the gang-bar at the opposite side of its pivot, the armf being formed with aseries of holes, f substantially asshown and described.

5. The main frame A, pivoted to the axleframes B in front of the axles, in combination with the springs G and yokes F, connected to the axle-frames by links B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOSEPH CLEMENS SCHWALLER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH SOHWALLER, F. M. PowERs. 

